WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Six Mountain West student-athletes have been named to the 30-man preseason watch list for the 2023 Lou Groza Award announced today by the National College Football Awards Association and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
The Mountain West’s six nominees are the most among the 10 FBS conferences, followed by the ACC, Big 12 and SEC at four.
The MW’s nominees include: Air Force’s Matthew Dapore, Boise State’s Jonah Dalmas, Hawai’i’s Matthew Shipley, Nevada’s Brandon Talton, San Diego State’s Jack Browning, and Wyoming’s John Hoyland.
The Groza Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards, and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
